Feroctiy's Beginning
by Kajex Firedrake
Summary: Kiyo Tix (Yes, I said KIYO TIX, Jesika, Janks and those who might know him!) is given a chance to become a commander of his own team. Note; no comments on how LONG it is, okay? I'm getting a little tired of them.
1. Default Chapter

All StarFox related terms and names are copyrighted to their respected owners.  
  
Kiyo/Kiya Tix, Allan Poe, Talon Skyes, Eve Nekitte and Frost Holloway are copyrighted to Elijah Barrientes.  
  
Note; I know, I write long stories. You don't like it, you can bear it and leave, or shut up and leave it as it is. It's not your to write, and I'm tired of people telling me I write too long. I mean not to sound too offensive, but I don't want any comments posted saying "this is too long" or anything of the like.  
  
Unit 1175; Ferocity Stars  
  
  
  
Hello. I am Kiyo Tix… and I have a meatball problem… what? It's not about that? Whoops!  
  
Err… let me start again.  
  
Okay… We know I was a clone for the Venomian army. When I was 1 and ½ years old, my host found me, a sixteen-year old husky female named Kiya Tix. It was at that time I learned that I was in fact a clone and that I had been made as a possible… 'Perfect Soldier'. The project failed, but the procedure was a step up in what was needed. Through this miracle of cloning, my telepath membrane increased enormously. I later found out that Kiya also had a telepath membrane, but that it wouldn't be in full use for a little while from then.  
  
The enemy, Andross, had been reborn through a similar process of cloning. However, several complications (later described to me by my good friend Eve) caused the clone be; 1. Split into two different clones, 2. Enable a membrane that would disallow them to use telepathic powers, and 3. Allow them to acquire Hemophilia, or "Bleeder's Disease", where even a tiny prick could cause someone to bleed to death (kinda sucks, eh?)  
  
What I didn't include in my last story was the battle that took place about two weeks later, when the NOVA (New Order of the Venomian Armada) decided to strike out at Fox's home world of Papetoon. Of course, Fox ultimately won out the battle, and one of the Andross clones was killed. The other escaped through the black hole, but Fox seemed confident that his father, who lived in the black hole, would destroy Andross, and that his father would have the last word in the matter.  
  
And what about me, you might ask?  
  
Well, Kiya and I became very attached to each other, and we recognized our feelings for each other as love. No, not the type of love between a man and a woman, but the kind of affection one will always feel for their family members. And so, after talking with Bill Grey, we were legally united as a family, me taking position as the older twin, since I was a bit more mature (heh… I don't think Kiya liked it that much, though.) After that, I had absolutely no problem about feeling like I was a part of something. It always seemed to feel great when Kiya took a nap on my shoulder and I would look down at her resting peacefully and say, "jeez… this kid's my sister…"  
  
Anywho, I guess this is enough with the mushy emotional feelings. One thing that was discussed between a few of our friends and I, who were also on StarFox, was that we were too good to be on StarFox. Not that we felt superior in any way. We just didn't want to have to be caught up in publicity all the time, and there wasn't enough room for the best pilots in Lylat in a single squadron. We all felt that, if we moved somewhere else where it was quiet, we could resume our duties without any public appearances.  
  
And that was when Talon suggested we start up our own team. 


	2. Talon's Epiphany.

Chapter 1; Talon's Reoccurring Epiphany  
  
Introduction by Kiya Tix;  
  
What the heck is an Epiphany?!  
  
-End of introduction-  
  
  
  
Talon took a seat next to Kiyo, looking behind him for a second. He wanted to make sure that the wrong somebody wasn't listening to what he was going to say.  
  
For nearly two months, Kiyo had been staying with the StarFox team as a team member, but his skills with piloting were beyond most of them, except for Fox. Even Fara, who was extremely expert at the controls of any ship in general, had a hard time trying to keep the husky down. Thus, Talon had, for a while already, been persuading Kiyo to break off and form his own team. But it hadn't happened yet...  
  
He whispered to him. "Have you asked Fox yet?", he inquired, scratching his left ear a bit. A portion of the top was missing, an injury Talon had gotten long before.  
  
Kiyo paused, then shook his head. "No… not yet."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Kiyo shrugged, returning to his food. "I dunno. I didn't think my piloting skills would exceed near his level, but they have. Really near to his mark in piloting. And I don't want to feel like I'm boasting or anything."  
  
"Don't worry about it, he knows already how good you are. I'm willing to bet that he'd think of you as the best pilot in the mercenary wings today." Talon had been the first to befriend Kiyo besides Kiya, and the two had become best friends after that. But he didn't say this simply to bring his spirits up, because he actually believed Kiyo had a great talent for flying. The husky had claimed he had taken freelance lessons, none from the academy, but in a way, it was a good thing- anybody who was in training from, say, a smuggler would have more tricks and techniques in fighting than a nest of ants had drones.  
  
"Still… Wolf would still be in this wing and I don't want to split him and Kiya apart. Not if it would hurt her in any way." Kiya and Wolf had been attracted to each other for a little while, already, and Kiyo hadn't wanted to intervene between them.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Kiyo. You can always try to persuade Wolf to transfer wings. It isn't even that difficult to do. He'll agree to what you'd do." He waved over to ROB, said to him. "Get me some water, it's hot as Solar in the summer!" He turned back to Kiyo, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Even so, it'd cost us some money to make a new mercenary unit, and I don't happen to have 100,000 credits lying around. I know you don't. And unless somebody is willing to give us a load of new ships for free and then get the money to be registered, we're out of luck." He paused, looking Talon in the eye, daring him to prove him wrong. When the feline didn't answer, Kiyo continued. "Besides, I made an agreement with Fox; the first day I beat him in a simulation dog-fight is the day he'll let me make a decision as to what I'm gonna do." It was true. Such registation procedures were expensive, and although they had the money to create a new unit, that didn't account for the cost of the ships.  
  
"You know I've already completed the schematics for a newer and equally good ship, just for telepaths like you. And I know somebody who'll make them, if he knows he can get a profit from you somehow. And don't worry about Fox. If he'll let you go if you beat him," Talon shrugged, "then challenge him. You're good enough to beat him as it is."  
  
Kiyo shook his head. "Thanks for trying to bring my spirits up, but please don't lie, Talon. Everybody and they're kin knows that Fox McCloud is the best pilot in the Lylat system. Challenging him with a team less than 5 is suicide, and challenging him with a team less than 20 makes the challenger a fool."  
  
Talon sighed. "Kiyo, you seem to have the same problem as Fox does; you let yourself think you're not good enough to do anything and that's what keeps you from doing your best."  
  
Kiyo shrugged, and an idea occured to the feline.  
  
"Of course… you might be right. Fox is the best pilot in the Lylat system, having been beaten only a few times out of luck. You only smoked him the one time, and I doubt you could do it again, since you seem to be chickening out of it…"  
  
Kiyo's ears perked up. "What was that, which you just said?' he said warily.  
  
"Oh, nothing, except that Fox could beat you with both paws behind his back and using his tail, and you using both paws, of course, and that you'd be too scared to do try anyway."  
  
Kiyo glared. "Hey, who said I was? Where'd that little assumption spawn from in your rotten little mind?"  
  
Talon knew, from only a few months of experience with his new best friend, that Kiyo absolutely hated to be called a chicken. That was good, when you were canine and chicken was fowl and saying it to someone like him could get him to do almost anything. "You instigated it."  
  
"Instigated my tail!" he said, voice rising in indignance.  
  
"Which is exactly how Fox is going to beat you down with."  
  
Kiyo stood and glared harder. His voice raised slightly. "That's bull, Talon, and you know it! I could hold my own against Fox if I needed to, but I don't!"  
  
"You say so now, but if Fox beats you, you'd be wrong. And like I said, you're too scared to do it!" Talon was looking at Kiyo right in the eyes, as if daring him to do it.  
  
"Say that again and I'll prove you wrong!" Kiyo challenged.  
  
Talon grinned. He had him right where he wanted him. "Chicken."  
  
Kiyo lost it then and there, forgetting completely where he was. "Alright, you want to know something? Fox was pure lucky for all those times he won those battles! And if I went against him now, I'd smoke him, what's more! Heck- I'm better than Fox!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
As he finished his last word, he froze. He turned around.  
  
All eyes were turned on him, gaping in wonder and interest, at what Kiyo had just claimed out loud. Everybody had paused from what they were doing, whether it be eating or talking. Not a single sound could be heard. Kiyo's fur changed from gray to pale green as he noticed one pair of eyes belonged to Fox.  
  
Kiyo turned back to Talon, who was grinning. "I hate you, my best friend." 


	3. Duel of the Pilots

Chapter 2; Duel of the Pilots.  
  
  
  
The husky stood in front of a window. Cleaned so that even a microscopic speck of dust wouldn't lurk on its surface, it shone a clear view at the blue sky over-head. It was a sea of oxygen, the place where a pilot like himself could roam free. When he was on duty, of course. And only a few people understood how free they could be in the air. Fox was one of them. Kiya was another. The rest of the team was good, but even Fara couldn't comprehend the exhilaration of such flying. To her, it was a place for her to do a job she liked; but didn't understand fully yet.  
  
Fox was seated casually on a couch to his side. Whereas Kiyo stood straight and alert at this moment, Fox seemed to be relaxed. He sighed. "Hey, don't be too hard on yourself, Kiyo. I know Talon has a tendency to screw your insight up a bit. Heck, he's done it to me a few times, as a matter of fact." He noticed Kiyo's rigid position. "Jeez, relax man! What'd they do in Venom; pin you to a board and stood you upright so you'd be that way for the rest of your life?"  
  
Kiyo shook his head, smiled. "Sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry, be relaxed. You're the one who's standing like that. You'll go into a cramp if you keep doing that."  
  
Kiyo nodded, sat down on an adjacent couch, laid back. "Kiya's said the same thing about me."  
  
"I should think."  
  
The husky glanced at Fox. "I've seen her fight, but not against you. How good is she?"  
  
"I'll put it this way. She once managed to drain my shields so low that when she fired a mag-pulse into my back, the shock burned out everything in the cockpit. She's never done that trick again, though, because I avoid her this time."  
  
"What kept her from hitting you?"  
  
"I had fired a missile beforehand and it creamed her before she could make another run." He smiled. "I wonder, though, if maybe your skill matches hers."  
  
His thoughts turned on the subject Fox was on for the moment. "That's not really it, is it Fox? You want to know if I think that I'm as good as I say I am."  
  
Fox nodded.  
  
Kiyo sighed. "You see, when I said I was better than you were... well... I did it because I actually thought I was. But I didn't want to say anything. I mean it's not something I tell everyone. In fact, I'm not sure if I am. Maybe I just want to believe I'm better than you."  
  
Fox stood silent, looking at Kiyo closely. The husky said nothing more. He spoke after a few minutes. "Kiyo, whenever you're in the simulation chamber... do you ever withhold any skills you have and are capable of? Do you hide your true flying and just show enough to keep yourself on the team? Is that what you've been doing ever since you've joined?"  
  
Kiyo shook his head quickly. "No, I don't."  
  
Fox wouldn't accept that. "You're a good friend, Kiyo, but I need to do this. As a member of the team and pretty much a friend to everybody here onboard, you have to be honest with us. And as a commander, I have to know your true skill. I need you to tell me... how good are you?" He had to know. He had every right to know about Kiyo's piloting skills. In the field, it might well mean the tipping of victory and defeat on the scales. If Kiyo had even as much skill as Fox thought, then he would be well suited to be a commander instead of a follower. And this was why he had to know. He had given Fara the same order, but he knew she wouldn't leave, because she would much rather want to be with him.  
  
Kiyo sighed, knowing that he would have to be honest on this matter, when Fox put it in that way. He wasn't mad, but it wasn't something Fox always did. "Well... I keep away a lot of things in the simulation chamber. I don't mean to be cocky, Fox, but I think that some of the moves would be so complicated and surprising that I don't even think you would be capable of following them. That's how good I am; maybe better, since I've expeienced battle."  
  
Fox grinned. "Then let's go to the chamber and see what you've got in store for me. The Nintendo is out, we might as well do something."  
  
Kiyo nodded, but didn't return the grin.  
  
"Logged in, Kiyo?" asked Fox calmly.  
  
Kiyo responded, voice trembling a bit. Fox was by no means any physically older (though chronologically older) than Kiyo was, but he was still one of Kiyo's friends, perhaps as good a friend as Talon was. "Yeah, I'm in. Whenever you're ready, Fox."  
  
He nodded. "Begin simulation test 102; Furry Fury in an Asteroid Field." As he said these words, the window screen in front of him flickered to life, glowing perceptibly. In one more instant, the screen came on full, a shower of rocks at front and rear and stars surrounding both of them. Fox smiled.  
  
"Give me your best, Kiyo. Don't hold back anything."  
  
Kiyo nodded. "Yes sir."  
  
Fox kept smiling. "When we're done, I have no doubt you won't need to call me that." He jammed back the throttle and approached Kiyo at full speed.  
  
Kiyo responded similarly. The two come at each other, both seeming to be intent on a head-on collision. They fired rapidly at each other, dodging at the same time to avoid the firepower both ships were casting. Fox came in, lasers aimed for the husky's engine port. Fox shook his head in disappointed. He's not giving it his all, he thought glumly. If he doesn't, then he won't be ready for a commanding position. He began to fire.  
  
The next instant, however, Kiyo peeled slightly upwards and zipped past the bolts. He came up with his own volley, smacking the forward shields of Fox's ship. Fox yelped out, pulled away from the attack and brought himself around at Kiyo, who was only starting to turn. He began to fire back, scoring hits on his ship but not on anywhere he would consider vital. The best he could do on short notice was just pop off a few shots to the husky's vehicle, and then he would have to turn away.  
  
Pretty good, Kiyo, he said with his mind. I didn't really expect that.  
  
You didn't? asked the husky. Then prepare to be surprised again.  
  
The rocks of the battlefield moved slowly around the arena, providing ample cover for fire. But Fox knew he would have to reserve something like that for a true out-and-out dogfight. Kiyo could keep up, but he could tell simply by reading his mind that Kiyo wanted to try himself out in the wide open. He brought his ships around again, crosshairs invading the area that Kiyo was currently occupying. Kiyo saw this and turned to port, facing towards Fox again.  
  
This time, however, Fox was able to get past this trick easily. He peeled left, shifted his engines to slow down, moved back right, facing Kiyo again, and pulled back the throttle, tossing shots at the canine. Kiyo caught this instantly. In the next moment, he had tilted his ship and slid neatly between the firepower. The pair of lasers sailed off into space, with the husky's ship screeching towards him.  
  
Kiyo responded, not with laser, but with missiles instead; it seemed he would not be easily put out. Fox grinned as he struck the missiles out of the air, grinned even more as two more were able to hit his ship and drain his shields by one fourth. He was good...  
  
"Hey, check it out!" called Falco. "Fox and Kiyo are on each other's backs!"  
  
His loud voice drew everyone toward him. Kiya had just exited from the ship's pool, still clad in her swimsuit, and Katt was in the same attire. Kiya blinked, ran forward. "Really? Who's got the upper hand?" she asked.  
  
Falco looked at the screen. "Looks like they're evenly matched, this time." He frowned. "But Kiyo's never done this well before..." he trailed off, amazed at the sheer skill both were displaying. After a moment, he shook his head. "Man, Fox is bringing out the best in that husky. Look at him move, he's a freaking snake in that asteroid feiold, just dartng this way and that!"  
  
Frost and Slippy now came up to him. "Maybe it was that thing that Kiyo said that's probably got Fox in a bad mood?" Slippy suggested. "I mean, Kiyo did claim out loud and heartily that he was better than even Fox. Maybe Fox is just teaching Kiyo a little lesson in the art of flying and dogfighting."  
  
"No. Fox didn't seem angry that Kiyo said he was better than he was. In fact, it took Fox more by surprise, from what I read on his face. I think he's just testing him to see what he's really got. Fox seemed even amused by what he said." Falco was one who could read the vulpine's face clear enough to know what he was thinking, which is why he input his suggestion. Even though he was known to blow his stack, he knew how to read other people's expressions, and Fox did not seem angry at Kiyo's words.  
  
"I'll tell you what it is," said a new voice. It was Talon.  
  
Everyone looked at him for his explanation.  
  
"Kiyo knew for a while that his skill could match Fox, and I think it even exceeds his. Anyway, Fox once made a promise that the day Kiyo beat him in a simulation test was the day that he could be let go to make up his own team. I think Fox even encouraged the idea. He's always seemed eager to challenge Kiyo, and I know it's not just to pick on him; no, he's wanted to see if maybe he has his brother's skill. Fox wants a challenge, no doubt, but he also wants Kiyo to show every thing he's got. And both know that this time, neither one is going to hold back anything. They have no reason to do that, and I'll be cursed if they do."  
  
Kiya gazed at the screen before. Her heart was beating feverishly, and she sat down to calm herself.  
  
Beat the fur outta him, Kiyo! she thought to herself.  
  
Three bolts came out from nowhere, but Kiyo dodged them as if they had been moving with the speed of a snail. It impressed Fox to the point where he knew that he would need to bring Kiyo to the rocks if he were going to have an absolute chance at beating him. The odds of winning were 50-50, but Fox wanted to see if the odds would change by heading into the rock field.  
  
He immediately broke off his attack and fled from Kiyo. The husky followed shortly afterwards, Fox in his sights. He pulled up to avoid an asteroid, but saw where Fox was leading him.  
  
He's leading me to the field. He knows he could beat me in the open, but he wants to be sure that he's victorious. Successfully navigating in such a hazardous zone was based on a percentage so low that it was imprinted on every normal pilot's mind and never looked at again (else that would make the idea of even thinking about it foolish), but to go free-for-all in a dogfight was plain crazy. But then, Fox and Kiyo, as well as the rest of the team, were not normal pilots. He could cut it clearly- Kiya had once taken a fight into the asteroid feild, and had emerged unscathed. He followed, though, any notion of neglecting to follow having been erased from his mind.  
  
As they entered the field, Kiyo began to fire again, but Fox was able to use the stones as cover. Some of them were hollowed out, some straight, but all of them having their own distinct features. One feature, for example was bowl-like at its rim, but moved quickly into a cavern. His bolts smacked harmlessly into the rocks and Fox pulled out of the cover to fire his own shots. Kiyo barely managed to avoid them, his wing getting nicked in the process. As he moved to avoid them, he failed to sense the large stone to his right. When he finally did acknowledge its presence, it was already a bit too late. He moved quick, but at best his right wing was shattered and was now a ragged piece of metal.  
  
Fox took advantage of this. It now meant that Kiyo could not maneuver as well as he could before, which meant far easier shots for Fox. He set up his own strafing run, but by this time he had forgotten Kiyo's earlier warning to prepare to be surprised once again. He came in swiftly, bolts crashing into Kiyo's ship, but Kiyo fired back as well, until Fox managed to disable his lasers.  
  
Now, with minimal flying capabilities and no way to fire any volleys of lasers, Fox knew his run was almost over. He charged up a shot and locked on.  
  
He sighed. "I thought you were almost as good as I am..." he murmured.  
  
His shot never went out. Kiyo's ship had redirected itself, but there was only one way to get Fox off. It wasn't a desperation move as far as Kiyo was concerned. A missile left his ship, not locked on, but Fox's eyes widened as he knew he couldn't avoid it. The warhead slid through the vacuum at top speed, finally contacting with the nose of Fox's ship. It smashed into his ship, but of course there was absolutely nothing remotely dangerous to this effect, besides epilepsy. The next instant, however, left him without light, simulation screen having gone dark.  
  
Kiyo's voice entered Fox's headpiece.  
  
"I am as good as you are, Fox."  
  
Fox paused, then dropped his head and grinned. "Well, there's no arguing that, I'm afraid. So just promise me one thing then, okay?"  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Don't call me 'sir' anymore. I mean, you really don't have to... fellow commander."  
  
They were greeted by applause from the whole team, and Kiya reached her brother and hugged him close. "I hoped you would do this, Kiyo. Now we won't have to be here anymore."  
  
Fox squeezed the husky's shoulder. "Hey, I figured you could do it. I wanted to be sure about you, to tell the truth, but I didn't know you were good enough to fire a missile blindly and still hit. You are as good as me, if not slightly better."  
  
Frost, who was in the background, rooting on Kiyo, turned to Falco. "Pay up!"  
  
Falco winced. "Ah, man!" 


	4. Our ways part

Chapter 3; Our Ways Part.  
  
  
  
There seemed to be no hard feelings on Fox's face, so Kiyo was partially relieved, but he couldn't help but worry somehow. If he did decide to make his own team, he knew Fox would be there to support him the whole way through. But he also realized that only he, Talon, Frost and Kiya would be transferring if it came to anything- and airforce regulations only permitted a group to be made if a party of 5 was around. So, if Kiya decided to stay (which he doubted) then they'd still need to find at least one more person for the team.  
  
But it wasn't time to be thinking of these things. The main subject of the matter was that Kiyo had beaten Fox, fair and square. True, he had gotten the wind kicked out of him towards the end, but he had also displayed enough skill in the last blow to be considered commanding material. So there was really no time to ponder as to whether or not they would be ready to put in a team.  
  
Especially, in this case, if you were encouraged to chug down a few beverages for everybody's pleasure.  
  
He downed a full 28 ounces of root beer with ease. The repeated rally-call being "CHUG" the whole way through, Kiyo felt it both a job and a pleasure to comply with everyone else's wishes. The end result was a huge gas bubble located deep within his gut and the outbursts of a liquid sounding belch that vibrated around the room.  
  
Fox slapped the canine's back. "Doing okay?"  
  
Kiyo nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I didn't want to show off or anything, so I didn't do as good as I could have. A margin less than my true abilities, I would say."  
  
"What, the belch?"  
  
Kiyo laughed. "No the flying. The belch was the best in this system, but my flying is the subject I'm referring to."  
  
"Doesn't matter. You almost did your best and you beat me anyway, fair and square."  
  
"Did you hold anything back?" Kiyo asked. He wondered, because maybe Fox just wanted him out of the team, was all, for having said that he was better than Fox.  
  
Fox shook his head. "I do my best every time I'm in that simulation chamber, Kiyo. This was no exception. I wanted you to exceed what you show and show what you can do. I dunno, I guess I figured you'd be good as a commander. As a friend, I did that."  
  
Kiyo nodded. "If it was Kiya, you'd do it for her, right?"  
  
"I'd do it for any friend I have, kid. Everybody here on this team is not a comrad, but a friend. It helps keep that 'teamwork' theme that nobody likes. And you, being my best friend's brother and all, well, I guess I wanted you to get past that line that separated you from a good pilot to a good commander. You and your brother ought to have your own squadrons based on your own skill."  
  
Kiyo nodded. "Thanks, Fox."  
  
"Don't mention it," returned the vulpine. He looked around, spotting Kiya. "I assume you'll be taking Kiya? She's an excellent pilot, better than Falco, matches up with Fara. I shouldn't have to ask, of course, seeing as to how attached to each other you are."  
  
Kiyo shrugged. "If she wants to. I'm probably going to have to talk Wolf into moving into our wing, of course, just because she digs him a lot. I don't want to keep her from seeing him."  
  
"That can be arranged. Wolf wouldn't mind. He's been looking to get transferred to another wing, as well. What about Frost?"  
  
"He's already agreed to follow," answered Kiyo. "He literally jumped up at the idea, but almost busted his head open when he did. He was in the water main when he leapt and hit his head on a pipe. But he's willing to lend a paw in the business, especially with helping to build Talon's prototypes. If you want, I'll have one personally delivered to your ship."  
  
Fox laughed. "The Arwing does wonders for me enough, but I'll accept your offer, if you can do it. And Talon? I know he's not telepath, but he's your friend, still. More like your best friend, really."  
  
Kiyo nodded. "My best friend is coming, yeah. Besides, he's got schematics for a ship that can be used by telepaths only."  
  
"I know. He showed me the plans a couple of nights ago, because he figured something like this was going to happen. He sorta asked me for you, I guess you could say. I said I didn't mind, so I waited until he said something to get you in the gig."  
  
Kiyo looked up. There was a glint in his eye, one that held what Fox knew as hostility. "So this whole thing, with me challenging you and you accepting it... it was all a setup?" He sounded a bit offended and angry.  
  
Fox shook his head, voice coming back firm. "No, it wasn't. Remember, Kiyo, you accepted the challenge. I didn't force you to do anything. I asked you if you wanted to throw down in the simulation chambers and you said yes."  
  
"I figured-"  
  
"Kiyo, look, I'm not your commander anymore," Fox cut in. "I know that was what you were going to say. But it's not valid anymore. Your skill matches, maybe even exceeds my own! I couldn't just let you stay as my port wingman when you deserved a whole lot more for your own skills."  
  
"But you didn't have to do this, Fox," replied Kiyo. "I stayed here for all this time because I figured you might need help in trying to keep Lylat safe, and that it'd be best if I remained with you guys."  
  
"That's a good intention, Kiyo, and I'm glad you feel the need to protect the system much as I do. But there's more to the system than just the one place." paused, seeing that his words were sinking in. "There are other planets that are in peril, and we have to be able to help them. That's why I needed you to go; so you could do your part without my having to block you. But you wouldn't leave. Not that I was angry at all, but I know that you -and your sister, mind you- both deserved better than what you get for your skill." He sighed. "I don't know what they taught you on Venom, and I don't know how badly they treated you, and I have even less knowledge as to how loyal you were to their cause; but I can tell right off how loyal you were to your own commanding officer. You can't say 'yes' every time I'd like to do something, like you were a soldier or something."  
  
"But I am," answered Kiyo. "I was trained on the ground, and later in the air. There's now other way to describe what I've done all my life." He paused. "And a killer. I was that once too."  
  
Fox's eyes snapped back up to Kiyo, and he remembered the story that Kiyo had told him; at one time in his life, Kiyo had been ordered to infiltrate a base and kill any soldiers he encountered. He had taken 300 lives that day. But those records were that of a past that Kiyo had neglected, and Fox had helped him to cover up this part of his life, to protect him.  
  
"Hey, that's something you have to forget, then," returned Fox. "This is a mercenary unit, Kiyo. We have less rules and regulations to follow than any other normal airforce group. We're not as formal, and until StarFox was set up, we weren't nearly as accepted, either. The best part about mercenary units is that, no matter what, you still have the chance to be a free dog out here. No one is telling you what to do all the time."  
  
"But you do."  
  
"Not really; I mean, sometimes I do, but only because I care about people. I'm still under orders, I'm just not restricted as to what I need to do. I can fight anywhere I want to if I feel I need to. The only real reason we have a ranking system is just in case there's a need for any pilots with that rank, and so we don't end up running amok. But Kiyo, you act as if your whole life were already set! You follow every order without question! And you don't need to. If you really wanted to... you could resign at any time and live a long life."  
  
"Then why don't you?" returned Kiyo, feeling a bit foolish and still a bit angry to some extent. "If it were such a good idea to resign a position and live a long life with someone you love, then why don't you take your own advice?"  
  
"I could, if I wanted to. But it wouldn't be life I'd enjoy. Think of it, Kiyo. What would you do if you could do anything, for the rest of your life?"  
  
Kiyo thought. Fox was right. Here... he could do anything he wanted, so long as it was both healthy and legal. Nobody was making him stay. Nobody ordered him to do anything; they just asked for a favor and that was it. And he'd be happy to do it, but that was getting off the subject. What would he really like to do, then? Would he allow himself to be ruled by others, a life he was entirely used to, following orders and going places that didn't strike his fancy…  
  
Or would he allow no sky, no person, hinder his limitations? And why would he need to be the way he was now? He was free, as far as he knew. He always had felt trapped, but something had been keeping him from staying on the ground, and he knew what it was.  
  
He wanted to fly. He was not a bird, nor a bat, but he had experienced the wind in a view that any hawk would, and he loved it. Kiyo found a reason to smile. "Do you know where we could get a fifth pilot?" he asked.  
  
Fox shook his head, and Kiyo's smile disappeared. However, Falco Lombardi plopped down on a seat next to him, having heard the question, and grinned.  
  
"Well, Fox isn't into much with connections with other good pilots, except myself... me, on the other hand..."  
  
Kiyo smirked back. "I'm listening..." 


End file.
